Most Shared

The New York Screening of The Campaign

Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis hammed it up on the red carpet at the Landmark Sunshine Cinema before the Peggy Siegel Company’s screening of their latest film, The Campaign, last night in New York City. Ferrell furrowed his brow and gave a bewildered stare, while Galifianakis crossed his eyes and made crass gestures with the velvet rope. “Promoting the movie has been like going out on the campaign trail,” Ferrell said, “except we’ve done only a fraction of the traveling the candidates do, so I can only imagine how weary they must be.”

If their red carpet antics were any indication, the tone on set was undoubtedly lighthearted. Director Jay Roach recounted shooting a particular debate scene: “Off camera, Will and Zach began campaigning for the affection of the extras to determine who would root for them once we started filming. Will started giving everyone massages. Then Zach ran down the line cooling their faces with a portable fan and got everyone to chant, ‘Go home Will.’ In the end, I think it was a draw.”

The Campaign lampoons the election process for two North Carolina congressional candidates, the charismatic incumbent Cam Brady (Ferrell) and a soporific newcomer Marty Huggins (Galifianakis), both of whom lose sight of the task at hand in an effort to thwart the other’s candidacy. Several Saturday Night Live cast members attended the screening to cheer on Ferrell and Galifianakis, including Abby Elliott, Vanessa Bayer, and Taran Killam, who said of the comedic power duo, “Will Ferrell totally commits to everything, and I think those dead, beady eyes are funny in any situation. Then Zach maintains this calm in even the most absurd situations. Together they’re unbeatable!”

After the movie, Dree Hemingway, Rachel Roy, and Lindsey Wixson made their way to the after-party at Sons of Essex, which was transformed into a patriotic pep rally. Tables were littered with pins promoting the film, and everyone discussed their favorite scenes over pork belly sliders and Svedka Vodka cocktails dubbed “The Campaign Colada” and “Best Loser.” Mad Men star Jon Hamm revealed that while he was a big fan of the movie, when it comes to real-life elections, he bides his time. “I try to follow politics,” he said, “But I think elections are like NBA games—they don’t seem to matter until the last quarter.”